The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-08-27
Something for Farmers.
Substance of the Bill to Equalize Taxation in
the Interest of Agriculture.

The committee at the late Maryland State
Farmers convention to prepare bill to be
submitted to the next Legislature to equailze
taxation in the interest of agriculture held
meeting in Baltimore recently, and agreed up
on the measure, which is to be submitted to an
other meeting of the association to be held IN
Baltimore Sept. IA. The bill includes these
poyisions:
Section provides that all taxes shall be
levied upon the present valuation of proper
ty, and all necessary changes in valuation, in
stead of requiring the expenses of general
assessment shall be made by the annual re-
turns, as provided for in section 5.
Section 2enumerates all the exemptions al
lowed, viz, schools for free education, places
of worship, cemeteries not owned with view
to profit, public buildings belonging to the ma
tional government, the state, aud counties,
all real estate to the extent of mortgages and
other liens upon it, and provides for making
the owners of mortgage and Judgment m hens
| pay taxes on the amount invested therein.
Section sets forth in detail the property
that is included under terms Real, J" Per
sonal, Investments and "Credits."
Section makes provision for every person
procuring blank from the tax collector, and
making annual returns of all property and ln-
yestments held by him or her in their own
right, or in any fduciary character.
Sections and provide for the revision
of the returns by the county commissioners
with power to examine all persons who do
not make returns and to impose penalties up
on all persons failing to make such returns.
Section s fixes the principle OF valuation
for improvements on farming lands, to be
charged only at their true agricultural value
and also fixes the principle of valuation for
improvements on city and town lands
Section provides for the collection of the
taxes on the stock in trade of persons who COM
mence business after the levy.
Section 10 provides for collecting taxes from
all transient and travelling people engaged in
business in this state.
Section II makes provision for taxing the
gross receipts of foreign corporations doing
business in this state.
Section II provides for returns to be made
by manufacturers of the new material for the
purpose of taxation.
Section 10 gives the form of the blank to
be used in making annual returns for the cor
rection of levy list.
Section IA gives the form of the blank to be
used by corporations and joint stock compan-
les in making returns for the purposes of tax
alton.
Sections Is, 16 and II provide in detail for
the valuation of property and collection oil
taxes on the property of railroad companies.
| Section 10 makes null and void all con-
tracts and covenants on the part of the debt
ors to pay the taxes on mortgages and judg
ments held against them.
The committee also had under consdera-
ton the principle of taxing the gross earnings
of corporations, which has been adopted in
some of the states, and which they claim has
worked very satisfactorily, as well as the grad
uated income tax passed by the New York
legislature This law imposes a tax of one
per cent. on incomes over So, 900, two per cent
on incomes of $4,000, seven per cent. on in
comes from $4,000 to $780, twenty pei
cent on incomes from $4,000 to 100000,
and fifty per cent. on incomes over 500, 900.